Hourly wages in metro area 3% higher than U.S. average

Workers in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area had an average hourly wage of $23 in May 2013, roughly 3 percent above the nationwide average of $22.33, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. More

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Hourly wages in metro area 3% higher than U.S. average

THE AVERAGE HOURLY wage in Providence-Fall River-Warwick came in at $23 for May 2013, 3 percent higher than the national average. The wage difference was highest for educators and librarians, who make 18 percent more in the metro area than in the U.S. as a whole, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

PROVIDENCE – Workers in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area had an average hourly wage of $23 in May 2013, roughly 3 percent above the nationwide average of $22.33, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In 11 of 22 major occupations evaluated in the BLS report, wages for the Providence-Fall River-Warwick region were significantly higher than the national average, the BLS said, including in education, training and library services, where wages were 18 percent higher locally than in the U.S. as a whole; building and grounds maintenance, where wages were 13 percent higher; and health care practitioners and health care support, both 8 percent higher.

For six occupations, wages in the Greater Providence area averaged significantly lower in May 2013 than in the rest of the country, including most notably in the legal field, where the average hourly wage was 23 percent lower than the countrywide average. Jobs in the arts, design, entertainment, sports and the media paid 10 percent lower on average in Providence-Fall River-Warwick, while computer and mathematical occupations paid 4 percent lower.

The BLS report also outlined which occupations represent the largest and smallest percentage of total employment in the Providence-Fall River-Warwick metro area. Office and administrative support employed the highest percentage of people in the region, at 16.2 percent, followed by sales at 10.5 percent and food preparation and serving at 10.2 percent.

Farming, fishing and forestry represented the smallest percentage of Providence area jobs, at less than 0.5 percent, while arts, design, entertainment, sports and media jobs claimed 1.2 percent of total employment and architecture and engineering jobs claimed 1.5 percent.

Five occupations reported a local share of employment significantly higher than the U.S. average, the BLS said, including health care practitioners and technical; health care support; food preparation and service; community and social service; and education, training and library services.

Conversely, 11 occupations represented a percentage of total employment significantly smaller in the metro area than nationwide, including business and financial operations; computer and mathematical jobs; architecture and engineering; life, physical and social sciences; legal jobs; arts, design, entertainment, sports and media jobs; protective service; farming, fishing and forestry; construction and extraction; installation, maintenance and repair; and transportation.

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